Worth Everything (Worth It 4)

“I still want you, Gavin,” she whispered. “Seeing you tonight…when you touched me after that guy pushed me into you, it felt so good. So right.”

She was getting to him with a few choice words. Wasn’t he stronger than that? “We have good chemistry,” he said with a shrug, trying his best to pretend her words didn’t matter.

“It’s more than that. Isn’t it?” Her eyes were wide as she stared at him. Almost as if she willed him to answer the way she wanted.

“Chemistry is fairly simple,” he started, clamping his lips shut when he saw the subtle tremble of her mouth, how her eyes glassed over. She looked liked she was going to cry.

“So it’s just chemistry to you. That’s it.” She yanked the cloth napkin from her lap and tossed it on the table, half of it draping across her plate. “Just a good time. Lots of fucking, lots of orgasms and then you’re done with me.”

“Wait a minute—” She had no right to get angry. She was the one who dumped him.

And damn if that still didn’t bruise his ego.

She stood, glaring at him. “No, you wait a minute. I put my heart on the line and tell you that I miss you and want you back and you explain it away as simple chemistry. Sitting there with that shitty look on your face. How cold can you be?”

He stood as well, inhaling sharply to gain some control. Stasia was completely riled, her eyes wild, her entire body trembling. “Don’t put all the blame on me. You’re the one who ended this.”

“And you’ll never let me forget it, either.” She grabbed her tiny purse and stalked off, leaving him no choice but to toss a hundred dollar bill on the table and chase after her, calling her name as he exited the restaurant.

She stalked down the sidewalk, her strides surprisingly long for such a petite woman. He caught up with her easily, hooking the crook of her elbow with a firm grip and making her stop.

“Let go of me.” Jerking against his hold, she gave an aggravated grunt when he wouldn’t release her, and she kicked at his shin with her pointy shoes.

“Ow, damn it.” He let her go, dodging away from her swinging foot. Rubbed his knee, wincing at the sharp pain that made the front of his leg throb. “What the hell is wrong with you?”

“You’re what’s wrong with me!” She gave him the middle finger and took off.

He followed her, a glutton for punishment, though at least this time he was smart enough not to touch her.

“You can’t expect me to take you back because you say you made a mistake,” he yelled at her, not giving a shit if anyone they passed could hear him.

“Of course not. Nothing’s ever that easy,” she retorted.

She was passionate, full of fire as she stalked along the sidewalk like the priciest supermodel striding down a catwalk. Her wavy hair billowed out around her and she walked with ease in those sexy high heels. Damn if the sight of her didn’t arouse him.

“Kind of hard for you to deal with when everything you’ve ever wanted has been handed to you.”

Stasia stopped, her entire body eerily still for a moment before she slowly turned to face him. “What did you say?”

“You heard me.” He jerked his chin in her direction. “Spoiled little princess upset because she didn’t get her way. I bet you rarely hear the word no, huh?”

“I’m sorry you had such a terrible time of it growing up, I really am. I can’t help who I am, though, who my family is. So I grew up privileged, yes. I might’ve taken advantage of it too. But you’ve been with me since my whole world was turned upside down. I thought of all people in my life, you would be the one who understood the most.” She sniffed, wiped at her cheek with the back of her hand. “I guess I was wrong.”

Christ, she was crying. Damn it. He was the biggest sucker ever for a crying woman.

Especially this particular crying woman.

He approached her carefully, as one might approach a scared and wounded wild animal. She watched him warily, the tears streaming freely down her cheeks, her arms wrapped around her middle, standing on the edge of the sidewalk. People walked by but didn’t pay them any mind. Just another typical crazy night in New York.

His life had turned into a goddamned soap opera, all because of this beautiful, spirited, tough-as-hell woman.

“You can’t expect me to take you back with open arms, especially after how you ended it,” he said, stopping in front of her. He wanted to, but he couldn’t. “You’ve had one major emotional upheaval after another these last few months. Your life has completely changed.”

She nodded, her chin trembling, the tears leaving tracks across her cheeks as they dried. She was a beautiful mess and he ached to take her into his arms and console her. “It’s changed a—a lot.”

“You need to understand you pushed me away.” Reaching out, he took her hand in his. “And it hurt.”

“I—I know,” she stuttered, swallowing hard.